Machines, for example, construction or mining equipment typically include traction devices that help the machines to move about a work area. In many cases, the traction devices include one or more wheels attached to one or more axles. A typical method for attaching a wheel to an axle of a machine utilizes a set of bolts arranged in a generally circular pattern. The bolts travel through a portion of the rim of the wheel and attach to the machine's axle. As a result, the bolts experience very large forces because the rim transfers the full load of the wheel-to-hub joint to the bolts.
The number of bolts used to attach a wheel depends on the amount of load that the wheel must carry. Usually, a relatively larger number of bolts helps to reduce the load on each bolt. A large number of bolts, however, makes it time consuming to attach or remove the bolts during wheel removal or assembly. Furthermore, a large number of bolts increases the likelihood that some bolts may not get torqued or may get torqued to an incorrect torque.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,650 of Wilkins that issued on Nov. 22, 1983 (“the '650 patent”) discloses a drive wheel and sprocket assembly. The '650 patent discloses that the sprocket assembly includes a hub that has a plurality of circumferentially spaced, axially extending grooves, which terminate in shoulders. The '650 patent further discloses that each groove includes a pocket that is radially undercut in the base of the groove at a shoulder. The '650 patent discloses a drive wheel formed of resilient polymeric material. The '650 patent discloses that the drive wheel includes a plurality of ribs extending axially and circumferentially spaced to be received in the grooves of the sprocket assembly hub. Additionally, the '650 patent discloses that the ribs include teeth configured to snap into the pockets in the grooves of the sprocket assembly hub. According to the '650 patent, to assemble the drive wheel, the drive wheel teeth are slidably forced over the hub and that because of the resiliency of the drive wheel material, the teeth can be forced over the grooves and into the pockets at the end of the grooves. The '650 patent discloses that the teeth prevent relative axial movement and the ribs prevent relative rotational movement between the drive wheel and the sprocket assembly.
Although the disclosed drive wheel and sprocket assembly of the '650 patent may allow mounting of a drive wheel onto a hub without using bolts, it may still be less than optimal. In particular, the disclosed wheel and sprocket assembly of the '650 patent requires the drive wheel to be made of resilient material so that the teeth can be pushed over the hub to snap into the pockets in the hub. The configuration disclosed in the '650 patent may be unsuitable for use with hubs and wheels for construction and mining equipment, which cannot be made of resilient material. Moreover, after assembly of the drive wheel onto the hub, engagement of the teeth with the pockets may prevent easy removal of the drive wheel from the hub making it difficult to repair or replace the drive wheel.
The quick change wheel assembly of the present disclosure solves one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.